CLEVELAND — February is Black History Month, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced how it is taking part in the celebrations. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has programming in February for Black History Month

  • It includes an album deep dive and a panel about Black musicians and their relationship with Black media

  • The goal is to highlight the accomplishments and hardships of Black people in the music industry

Risa Goehrke, the director of brand and content strategy for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, explained that she wants to celebrate Black music every day.

“We know it’s important to celebrate Black music, specifically during this month and elevate it so that it gets the voice that it needs because it’s such an important part of our culture, our history and our society and how much change it has made,” she said.

Goehrke said the Hall of Fame is doing different programming throughout the month to highlight Black History Month. On Feb. 15, it is hosting a deep-dive into Living Colour’s album “Time’s Up."

“Kimberly Mack, which is joining us through the American Musicological Society, and she’s going to take some of her interviews that she did with the band, the production team of that album and really kind of take us down the path of why that album was so important and so impactful,” she said.

Goehrke also mentioned a panel the Hall of Fame is hosting on Feb. 23. It will be about Black musicians’ relationship with Black media.

“Dr. Laina Dawes, who is going to start things off with a panel about the complex relationship between Black musicians in the genres, specifically in the genres of heavy metal and alternative, rock ‘n’ roll, and that complex relationship they have with Black media,” she said.

The Rock Hall also has a highlight reel of “Soul Train” playing, which Goehrke said is a super-cut of 2023 inductee Don Cornelius’ show.

“Performances, you’ve got interviews that he did with his guests, of course the classic Soul Train line and the Soul Train dancers are going to be featured as well as a few retro commercials to really make it a complete episode experience, if you will,” she said.

Goehrke said she hopes visitors resonate with the Black History Month programming and that when they leave the museum, she hopes they learned something.

A previous version of this story misspelled Laina Dawes’ name. That error has been corrected. (Feb. 5, 2024)

Related Stories